Dec08-Jan09 - Holiness Messenger Home

DECEMBER - JANUARY , 2009
VOLUME 54 NO. 9
"Fear Nots" of the First Christmas
T
he story of the incarnation, of the birth of Christ, is a story
of divine love. But there is another side of the story, a
story of human fear and God’s response to it.
There are three ‘Fear nots’ in the Nativity scene, the first spoken to Joseph, the second spoken to Mary in Luke 1:30, and
the third spoken to the shepherds in Luke 2:10.
The first "Fear not" was given to Joseph, who was in what
appeared to be an impossible situation. This first “fear not”
speaks to us of the IMPOSSIBILITY OF HIS CIRCUMSTANCES. Matthew’s account of the birth of Christ gives us
Joseph’s standpoint, and Luke’s account is told from Mary’s
standpoint. Matt. 1:18 says ‘The birth of Jesus Christ was on
this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph,
before they came together, she was found with child’. It seems
that at first Joseph did not know that this was of the Holy
Ghost. He didn’t know this was an immaculate conception.
He didn’t know this was the fulfillment of Isaiah 7.
When we look at Luke, chapters 1 and 2, we find that Mary
did know. Gabriel the angel appeared to her and told her - but
Joseph did not know, he was in the dark. Because Matthew
has told us, we know that this child was of the Holy Ghost, but
Joseph did not have Matthew’s account. He didn’t know this
woman in a sexual sense, and as far as he was concerned no
one else knew her. She was espoused to him to be his wife
and his wife alone - how could this thing be? We find our life’s
circumstances impossible because we are ignorant of God’s
complete work. Our difficulty is having faith when we do not
know all of the facts.
There is a great lesson is to be found in Joseph’s reaction to
his impossible situation. In all likelihood the first thought that
came into Joseph’s mind was the first thought that would come
into your mind. ‘She has been unfaithful to me.’
Joseph could have had Mary stoned. In John 8 you will remember there was a woman caught in adultery. She was
pulled out before religious people - and they all lifted stones to
stone her. Joseph would have very well been justified (he was
a ‘just man’) to do away with her. He could have made this
sin known, and the law would have condemned her to death.
Joseph, it says, was a righteous man, and that means that Joseph knew that he couldn’t sweep this sin under the carpet.
He knew that it had to be dealt with in a right way. But Joseph, though righteous, was not cruel and arrogant. He knew
it was right for him to put her away publicly, in other words to
divorce her - but being a kind man, being a loving and a sympathetic man, he didn’t want to bring public disgrace upon her.
He didn’t want to make her a public example. He searched
for some way that he could put her away privily – quietly.
We need to give more respect to the character of Joseph, seeing the impossibility of his dilemma. He “thought on these
things…” what were his thoughts? I am sure his thoughts were
how to balance his love for Mary with his responsibility to
justice. He loses no matter what choice he makes. This is the
setting in which the angel says to him “fear not…” He is
instructed by the angel of the Lord to take Mary as his wife,
“for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.”
That “fear not” gave him clear direction in an impossible situation. He knew the course of action to take because God gave
(See the "Fear Nots" of the First Christmas, Page 3)
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The object for which it is formed is: To preach the Gospel of
Jesus Christ, and promote a better understanding among all brethren.
The Word of God alone shall be the Doctrine, Practice,
and Discipline of this Board of Members: it being understood
that we receive it as the inspired Word of God and the Divine
rule of faith and conduct.
We believe in God the Father Almighty. Maker of heaven
and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, who was
conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered
under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried and
arose on the third day according to the Scriptures, afterwards
ascended into heaven where He is now seated at the right hand
of God the Father, from whence He is come again to judge the
quick and dead.
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sanctifies the believer, thus making him or her eligible to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost which is given to them that
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We believe in the resurrection of the dead and the Communion of the saints, the Lord’s Supper and washing the saint’s
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Many have doubted the virgin birth, but
we know and are confident that it is true.
Not only because we have the witness
of prophecy, not only because we have
the testimony of Mary and Joseph, not
only because that child of God, Jesus,
grew up and proved himself, but also because this doctrine of Christ has proven
itself in our lives time and time again.
We know that if mankind will believe it
and receive it, they can be saved from
sin. Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
9737 E. 66th St. Tulsa, OK 74133
Even the famous doubters have proven
God’s word. Thomas Paine, the famous
reetings dear friends, and may the Revolutionary War Pamphleteer and PaFather of our Lord Jesus Christ and triot, was an infidel. He wrote a book
his Son and the blessed Holy Ghost be on named “The Age of Reason”. In it, he
our side always. We are such a blessed decried against all faith and all belief in
miracles and the Virgin Birth. On his
people.
death bed he asked the young girl who
cared for him if she had read his book.
We underestimate his blessings to us.
“I began reading it,” she replied, “but
At this time of the year
when I realized what it was saying I
we celebrate Christ’s
threw it in the fire.” Thomas Paine cried
incarnation and birth.
lamentably. “Oh how I
Luke tells us that the
wish everyone had done
angel Gabriel visited
that.”
his peasant and
God Bless
pleasant mother to
Robert Green Ingersol,
all as our thoughts
tell her that she, a virthe Civil War era politician
are
drawn
to
the
gin, would conceive and
and famous agnostic was
Birth of Christ and
bear a son, and his name
the son of a minister. His
as we look with
would be called Jesus, for
father preached with
hope to the New
he would save his people
Charles G Finney, but
Year!
from their sins.
Robert Ingersol rejected
his father ’s religion.
From the Staff of
But this was not the first
Shortly before his death
the
Holiness
Mesannouncement of the virhe declared, ”If Jesus
senger
gin birth. For Isaiah wrote
Christ were alive today I
of this miracle more than
would pay him homage.”
700 years earlier. This prophecy of
Isaiah’s is the longest prediction in the Old
Testament. God wanted us to know how Samuel Clemens (better known as Mark
Twain) was intensely interested in eterimportant this event was.
nal life. He read everything that he could
And God not only gave us the prophecy, on the subject; he checked out every
but he also preserved it for us. For a copy book from every library that he could.
of the entirety of the book of Isaiah was On his death bed he said to his nurse,
found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. These “Immortality! I still can’t believe it, I can’t
scrolls, which were copied down between believe it.” His nurse answered, “Mr.
250 BC and 68 AD were preserved in Clemens, you do believe it, otherwise you
caves around the Dead Sea and can be would not have checked out all of these
seen today. You can go to Israel today books about it.” But Mark Twain died –
still unable to believe.
and read the text.
G
Page 2
The infamous infidel, Voltaire, lay on his death bed and cried,
“Oh, Jesus Christ, if there be a Jesus Christ, have mercy on
me.” But I’m not sure he got that mercy; some people wait
too long.
A famous movie star said, “This stuff about heaven and hell, I
don’t believe it. She died, and I want you to know that she
believes it now.
These people were all as unclean as Delilah who inveigled
Samson into telling her about his hair; and when he was stupid
enough to lay his head in her lap, he lost his locks of consecration. “Now grind at the mill,” said the Philistines to the foolish
former he-man, and grind he did. Although Samson could not
see from his blinded eyes, he could still feel. He could feel the
torments and mockery of his captors; he could feel the pain of
his overtaxed muscles. And you will feel it too it you do not
listen to the preacher, for God is fair to all the world and you
have been told the truth.
Jesus saved me and he will save you too. John D. Jasper said,
“I’m gonna preach it till the cows come home from the lowest
field in the valley.” I intend to do the same.
Thank you for your support. I can’t send every one of you a
Christmas card, but have a merry Christmas and a Happy New
Year. We can’t do without you.
Bro. Ralph Cox - Editor
Evangelist Scott Hostetler
has started an Internet
Radio Station that plays
Gospel Music 24 hours a
day. The artists are from a
pentecostal/holiness
background.
He has broadcast camp
meetings live over the station and will be increasing the
number of camp meetings that are broadcast. The station
has been expanded to include holiness preaching as well as
other holiness ministries. You may go to
www.pentecostalvoiceoftruth.org
Or you may access it by going to
www.holinessmessenger.com and clicking on his link.
While the HM does not recommend the internet for
entertainment or socializing, there is the opportunity to
listen to holiness artists when necessary to be on the
internet. All of Bro. Scott's contact info. is on the website.
He may be reached by phone at 864-616-3181
"Fear Nots" of the First Christmas
FROM PAGE ONE
him a word. When everything around us seems impossible,
stop looking around and look up.
A businessman once spent one evening with a shepherd on the
Texas prairie. During the night in the long wait he heard coyotes wailing. The shepherd dog’s growled and peered into the
darkness, not knowing the source of the noise. The sheep lumbered to their feet, alarmed, fearful, and bleating pitifully. The
shepherd tossed more logs unto the fire; the flames shot up.
The businessman looked around and saw thousands of little
lights all around the prairie - the reflection of the fire in the
eyes of the sheep. This is what the businessman said: ‘I observed that the sheep were not looking into the darkness like
the dogs, but the sheep were keeping their eyes set in the direction of safety, they were looking to the shepherd.’
The second “fear not” is spoken by Gabriel to Mary, the mother
of Jesus. This “fear not” speaks to her IGNORANCE OF
THE METHODS OF GOD. Luke makes note of the fear of
Mary. Fear is a common human response at the manifestation
of the divine.
Notice that Gabriel appears to Mary and says, “Hail, thou that
art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among
women (Lu. 1:28).” This sudden manifestation of an angelic
being and the mystery of his words leave her perplexed and
fearful. “She was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind
what manner of salutation this should be.” Mary did not understand the greeting. Because she was ignorant of the plan of
God and of her part in the virgin birth, she instantly feared.
Gabriel, addressed her fear by saying, “Fear not, Mary: for
thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his
name JESUS.”
Apparently Mary had little trouble trusting God once she fully
understood God’s plan. Her fears were allayed once she knew
the whole story. Do not many of our fears arise from us being
ignorant of the plans and methods of God? Because we cannot see the whole picture it is hard for us to trust. When God
does not explain himself and when we are ignorant of His ways,
we need to rest assured that His plan will still work
The third “fear not” is found in Luke, 2. Does God announces
the coming of His Son to a high priest? to a King? to a Scribe?
No, but rather as Luke 2, verse 8-10 says “And there were in
the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping
watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the
Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone
round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the an(See the "Fear Nots" of the First Christmas, Page 3)
Page 3
"Even the Youth...Shall
Mount Up with Wings as
the Eagles."
Darius Templeton
3201 Dryden Road Moraine OH, 45439
Bro. Darius is Youth Pastor at Dryden
Road Pentecostal Church, Dayton Ohio,
Where Bro. B. D. Sutherland is Pastor. I
think you will be blessed by Bro. Darius'
ministry as he will be our guest for the
next few months. -Eds.
g
ello to all those reading this letter in
the youth section. I hope you are
having a good school year and preparing
for youth camp’s to start back up. I want
to discuss a topic that is common to all
men. Temptation! Temptation has been defined as, “an enticement to evil”. Paul
wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “ There hath
no temptation taken you but such as is
common to man: but God is faithful, who
will not suffer you to be tempted above
that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye
may be able to bear it.”
H
can help us resist it. Let’s look first at two
words found in 2 Corinthians 11:3: “beguiled” and “subtilty”. The word beguiled
is defined by Webster to mean: 1. To deceive somebody, to mislead or deceive
somebody. 2. To charm someone, to win
someone’s attention, interest or devotion.
3. To cheat somebody of something, or
cheat somebody out of something. Now
look closely at the word “subtilty”, which
means cunning, wily, or crafty, skillful or
clever. These two words alone imply behind every temptation is a deep dark plotting mind. Paul’s fear for the saints at
Corinth is they like Adam and Eve will fall
into the serpent’s trap. In Luke 22:31 Jesus
tells Peter, “Satan hath desired to have you,
that he may sift you as wheat.” Jesus has
unmasked the serpent and told us exactly
who he is. The Devil was behind the first
temptation, and he is still the master mind
behind temptation. He is the driving force,
but not the source of temptation. When
we look at Eve as Paul does, we are forced
to see the tempter behind her temptation.
Now look at the target of his
temptation: Eve in the garden, Jesus in the
wilderness, and now you. Matthew when
writing about the temptation of Jesus said,
“And when the tempter came to him.” I
need to tell you that the tempter has never
stopped coming and will never stop coming because he has never lost his desire to
sift a saint. You are under attack by a cruel
adversary who is plotting and planning to
deceive, mislead, charm you, and win your
attention. The fall of the first man was affected by the seductions of the serpent.
James 1:13 says, “let no man say when he
is tempted: I am tempted of God.” God is
not the tempter behind your temptation.
The devil is, and he is planning your sifting.
see Satan as the force, but we must look
for the source. James tells us the source
in 1:14. “Every man is tempted, when he
is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” The beginning step in temptation
is when you are drawn away from truth
and virtue by your own lusts. You are the
source of temptation, it is your “own lust”,
not someone else’s. You may have been
influenced by someone else, but you cannot blame someone else. Adam already tried
that, and that seems to be our response
when we are caught. The woman blamed
the serpent, the man blamed the woman,
and we continue the game today. But we
need to realize that each of us is accountable for our own sin. You cannot go around
saying, “the devil made me do it.” He can
hint at many things but he cannot force
anything. You and I have the ability to make
our own choices.
I have been made aware I grew
up in a different decade, and that is true.
Sin was not so easily accessed in my teenage years. But one thing is certain, the force
and the source of temptation has not
changed. We cannot do anything about the
force, but we can do something about the
source. When David fell to temptation, he
cried, “Create within me a clean heart oh
God.” We can prepare ourselves for temptation thru prayer, “lead us not into temptation.” By reading Gods word, “Thy word
have I hid in my heart that I might not sin
against thee.” Prayer and reading Gods
word are major weapons in our warfare
with temptation.
The history of every temptation,
and
of
every
sin, is the same; the outward
I feel the best place to start when
object of attraction, the inward commotalking about something so common to us
tion of the mind, the increase and triumph
all is in the beginning. That is what Paul
“
of passionate desire; ending in the humilidoes for us in 2 Corinthians 11:3 But I
ation, slavery and ruin of the soul. If you
fear, lest by any means, as the serpent
When we look at temptation we
have caved in under temptation, your failbeguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your
ure does not need to be final. Acminds should be corrupted from
cording to 1 John 2:1 (KJV) “ My
the simplicity that is in Christ.”
Children grow up with teddy bears and often
little children, these things write I
Those at Corinth seemed to have a
figure that since the toys are cuddly, the real
unto you, that ye sin not. And if
character that was always yieldthings might also be so. In 1990 two boys
any man sin, we have an advocate
ing to temptation. I hope that has
scaled
the
fence
at
the
Bronx
Zoo
in
New
with the Father, Jesus Christ the
not been the case with you this
York
City
and
went
into
the
polar
bear
righteous:” There is help, hope and
school year.
compound. The next day they were found
forgiveness at the cross of Calvary.
dead. Your pet sin can kill!
Understanding temptation
Darius Templeton
Page 4
"Fear Nots" of the First Christmas
FROM PAGE THREE
gel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good
tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”
This “fear not” to these shepherds was intended to speak to
their sense of unworthiness or the INSIGNIFICANCE
THEY FELT TOWARD THEMSELVES.
If the Lord Jesus Christ was going to be Messiah, He would
have to fulfill Micah 5, verse 2, where the prophet Micah said:
“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among
the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth
unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth
have been from of old, from everlasting.” Jesus had to be
born in Bethlehem. If He was not born in Bethlehem, He could
not be the Messiah. Now Luke’s emphasizes that Christ fulfilled this prophecy of Micah, and indeed was born in Bethlehem.
He didn’t just show that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but
how He came to be born in Bethlehem. There was a problem.
The pregnant Mary, was not in Bethlehem, Mary was in
Nazareth. that prophecy could not therefore be fulfilled - so
she needed to get to Bethlehem. Luke tells us that taxation
was imposed upon the Jews which meant everyone had to
return to the city from which their family sprang for a census.
Caesar Augustus was the man who ordered the census, so
Caesar unknowingly required Joseph and Mary to return to
Bethlehem from Nazareth.
Caesar knew nothing of what the effect of his census would
be. The last thing he would have done was fulfill this prophecy. In fact, he was employing this census across the whole of
the Roman Empire to get a greater control over parts of the
Empire. Yet, Caesar Augustus, a godless man who was opposed to everything that God’s will was, actually was found
to be the fulfilling instrument of Micah 5:2. Now if that
doesn’t cause you to believe in the sovereignty
of God
Though God used Caesar indirectly
to fulfill His purposes, He chose to
appear individually to the humble
shepherds. In those days, the vocation of a shepherd was thought
to be a lowly job. The Pharisaic
Jews at that time, considered the
shepherd to be an outcast socially and religiously. They were
poorly paid and the the religious
people were forbidden to buy
wool or milk or meat from
them. Certain civic practices
were debarred from them,
such as being a judge or a witness in the court. In fact,
people were to withdraw from a shepherd in the same sense
as they would withdraw from a tax collector. Their work not
only made them ceremonially unclean, but it kept them away
from the temple for weeks at a time on end, and that meant
they could never be made clean even if they wanted to.
Why did the announcement of Christ’s birth come to these
shepherds? Here’s the first reason why the shepherds heard it
first: because God does not call the rich and the mighty, He
calls the poor and the lowly. In Luke chapter 1 and verse 51
we read these words: ‘He hath shewed strength with his
arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their
hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and
exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with
good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away’. Is that
not what Paul said in 1 Corinthians chapter 1:26: ‘For ye see
your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after
the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But
God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of
the world to confound the things which are mighty’.
Shepherds, for some reason, weren’t even allowed to testify
as a witness in the court - but isn’t it striking that when God
wanted to testify to the world that His Son had come, he used
the outcast, the lowly shepherds as his first witnesses? Faith is
for the ordinary working man - faith is for everyone, no matter
your class, or your creed, or your ability. Moses was keeping
sheep, just like the shepherds, when God came and called him.
Gideon was threshing wheat when God called him. Elisha was
plowing in the field when God called him. When
these men received the revelation and the call
of God they were working, because they were
ordinary men - not the emperors of this
world!
Caesar Augustus, a
godless man who was
opposed to everything that was God’s
will, actually was
found to be the fulfilling instrument of
Micah 5:2. He ordered
the census that would
require Mary and
Joseph to go to
Bethlehem.
James S. Stewart, the preacher, put it like this:
“Is there not a world of meaning in the fact
that it was the very ordinary people, busy about
very ordinary tasks, whose eyes first saw the glory
of the coming Lord. It means first that the place of
duty, however humble, is the place of vision."
When we read the second chapter of Luke it
seems that God is saying, “I can work my will
through the high and lofty people in human empires like Caesar Augustus. But the most glorious manifestation of myself is given to the
meek and lowly – as shepherds.” When the
shepherds cringed in fear at the sudden appearance of heavenly glory, the angels instantly consoled them, “fear not.” These poor
men learned at that moment that they had great
significance in this unfolding drama. Their heads
lifted and caught full in the face, the Glory of God!
Let us do likewise!!!
Page 5
A word
from the WORD
Father...An Everlasting Father:
Isaiah 9:6,
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and
the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his
name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty
God, The everlasting Father, The Prince ofPeace.”
We all know the passage of Scripture in Isaiah 9:6,7 has to
do with the coming Messiah (The Christ). This title “everlasting Father” ... does this prove for our friends in the
“Jesus Only” movement that Christ is “The Father” and as
such, there is only one in the Godhead? LET US SEE.
The word “Father” used here is the Hebrew, ‘ab, so used in
the Old Testament 1191 tinles and in this instance means,
“protector, nourisher, or advisor. Job said in 29:19 “I was a
father (‘ab) to the poor. Now, he did not mean all the poor
were his children but just that he cared for, protected and
helped the poor. In Isaiah 22, Eliakim, an officer in the
King’s court was elevated in office and God said in 22:21,
“and he shall be a father (‘ab) to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” This did not mean those inhabitants were his children, only that he was to protect and care for them. Joseph,
in explaining to his brothers in Egypt, how God had worked
to care for them, said, “He (God) hath made me a father
(‘ab) to Pharoah, (Gen. 45:8)” not that Pharoah was his
child but that God placed Joseph there as advisor to
Pharoah.
So, we see that father (‘ab) has a wide use and the idea of
protection implied in the word, father (‘ab), contains also the
notion of creator and preserver, and the Messiah was to fill
all these roles. There is a division of duties in the Godhead
(Trinity). God the Father will supply, Jesus is the architect or
builder, (and as such, it was fitting, for He was born in a
carpenter’s home) and the Holy Ghost is the finish worker,
“By His Spirit He hath garnished the heavens.“ (Job 26: 13).
He is doing the finish work on the church age.
Above I said protection implied the thought of creator and
preserver. Here we enter into John 1: 1,2, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.“ In
verse 14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt
among us."
John 1:3 tells us, “All things were made by Him.“ Here we
have the architect-builder at work in creation and this places
upon Him the responsibility to protect, nourish and preserve
that which He has made, In this role He may well be called,
as in Isaiah 9:6, the ‘(ab), father. As the church has lived on
through the centuries. He must be more than a short term
‘(ab) father, but an “everlasting “ one.
In several scriptures in John, Jesus says, “The Son can do
nothing of himself, but what he seeth the father do: ,
..these also doeth the Son likewise (John 5: 19) .” “I
seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which
hath sent me (John 5: 3 0) .” “I do nothing of myself,’
but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things
(John 8: 28).“ “I speak that which I have seen with my
Father (John 8: 38)“ See also, John 12: 49,51 &John
14:31.
In each use of Father here, Jesus used the Greek word,
PATER, meaning literally, “Father or Parent” not just
protector, nourisher or advisor. So, there is no conflict
between the use of Father for God here and Father for
Christ in Isaiah 9:6.
W. H. Wyatt,
The Pentecostal Handbook
Holiness Missions to America is an
outreach ministry organization designed to reach the least, the last, and
FROM
the lost. Founded by Rev D.Todd
OKLAHOMA
Sloggett, HMA is now three strong
with a homeless mission church in Tulsa, OK, an affiliate in
Tavares, FL, as well as, a brand new chapter in Lawton, OK.
Bro Todd, Bro Earl Wayne Krumsiek, Bro Rob Bowers, and
Bro Brandon Murray, as well as, many other Christian workers are responsible for the day-to-day workings of these three
mission churches.
We pick up the homeless and bring them to church, feed them
and give them clothing. God has blessed our efforts in 2008.
We have been able, with the help of the Lord, to help 55 homeless people get off the streets of Tulsa and into jobs and housing. We are also working with several homeless families in
Florida and homeless and state prisoners in Lawton. We’ve
had 100’s attend our services, many have prayed, and many
have gotten saved.
We would like to thank the churches and many individuals
supporting us on a regular basis. Financial support is received
at PO Box 12, Sapulpa, OK 74067. HMA is a not-for-profit,
incorporated in the state of Oklahoma. For clothing and other
donations, please contact our Donation Center at (918) 2248060. Needed items at this time are non-canned, nonperishable food items, coats for winter, blankets, socks, hats, gloves,
underwear, etc. These donations are received at HMA headquarters at 1234 N 9th St, Sapulpa, OK. For questions regarding Holiness Missions to America, Inc. and our affiliates, contact Rev. D. Todd Sloggett at (918) 760-1048. To receive our
newsletters please contact us at (918) 512-6720.
Page 6
Wesley replied, “Then, Sir, I hope you never sin.”
Forgiving and
Forgetting...A
couple of psychologists udied newlyweds
over the first decade
of their marriage, they
discovered that
couples who stayed
together uttered 5 or
fewer put-downs in
every 100 comments to each other. But couples who inflicted twice as many verbal wounds — 10 or more
putdowns out of every 100 comments — later split up.
Words can heal and words can wound. We need be careful
what we say and how we say it.
There is another thing to consider and that is how we react
to what is said to us. We are not responsible for others
actions, but we are responsible for our reactions to them.
My Advice is to learn to Forgive and Forget.
When I say "forget", It doesn't mean the you never will
recall in memory the things which hurt you, but forgetting
means that these things no longer control you emotionally
when you do think about them.
Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, was
reminded one day of a vicious deed that someone had done
to her years before. But she acted as if she had never even
heard of the incident. “Don’t you remember it?” her friend
asked. “No,” came Barton’s reply, “I distinctly remember
forgetting it.”
We must learn to forget, unless the past become a prison to
your future. In his book. Lee: The Last Years, Charles
Bracelen Flood reports that after the Civil War, Robert E.
Lee visited a Kentucky lady who took him to the remains of
a grand old tree in front of her house. There she bitterly
cried that its limbs and trunk had been destroyed by Federal
artillery fire. She looked to Lee for a word condemning the
North or at least sympathizing with her loss. After a brief
silence, Lee said, “Cut it down, my dear Madam, and forget
it.” It is better to forgive the injustices of the past than to
allow them to remain, for to fail to do so is to let bitterness
take root and poison the rest of our life.
Have we not needed forgiveness ourselves for some wrong
done to another which caused their pain? If we expect to be
forgiven we must forgive. General Oglethorpe once said to
John Wesley, “I never forgive and I never forget.” To which
It isn't easy to forget and forgive. It may prove to be the
greatest struggle of your life, but if God requires us to
forgive, it surely is a possibility. In closing, I have found this
advice fromm Corrie ten Boom to be inspiring. SHe was a
POW in the Holocaust.
She told of not being able to forget a wrong that had been
done to her. She had forgiven the person, but she kept
rehashing the incident and so couldn’t sleep. Finally Corrie
cried out to God for help in putting the problem to rest. “His
help came in the form of a kindly Lutheran pastor,” Corrie
wrote, “to whom I confessed my failure after two sleepless
weeks.” “Up in the church tower,” he said, nodding out the
window, “is a bell which is rung by pulling on a rope. But you
know what? After the sexton lets go of the rope, the bell
keeps on swinging. First ding, then dong. Slower and slower
until there’s a final dong and it stops. I believe the same
thing is true of forgiveness. When we forgive, we take our
hand off the rope. But if we’ve been tugging at our grievances for a long time, we mustn’t be surprised if the old
angry thoughts keep coming for a while. They’re just the
ding-dongs of the old bell slowing down.” “And so it proved
to be. There were a few more midnight reverberations, a
couple of dings when the subject came up in my conversations, but the force — which was my willingness in the
matter — had gone out of them. They came less and less
often and at the last stopped altogether: we can trust God
not only above our emotions, but also above our thoughts.”
A Point To Ponder
W
hile crossing a bridge in London, John Wesley stumbled
and sprained his ankle. Some friends carried him to the
house of Mrs. Mary Vazielle on Threadneedle Street. She was a
widow with several children. She cared for Wesley and his response to her concern was to ask her to marry him. If we were
writing fiction we might say that the sprained ankle was God’s
providential way to bring those people together. But the marriage
was a disaster, and Mary finally left John. Had Wesley consulted with his brother Charles, and asked for
the prayers of the brethren, he might have avoided that unfortunate situation. Mary was accustomed to her quiet home, and it
was difficult for her to travel with her husband and stay in uncomfortable inns. It is unfortunate that Mary was not content
just to ignore John’s ministry; she actually opposed it. She gave
certain personal letters to his enemies and even made additions
to them that made them worse! Once she even pulled her husband around on the floor by his hair! “I felt as though I could
have knocked the soul out of her!” one of Wesley’s friends said.
Wesley concluded that his unhappy marriage encouraged him to
work harder and not complain about missing the comforts of a
home. Certainly it encouraged him to be away from home more! Page 7
Prophecy Conference
Trinity Pentecostal Tabernacle
Louisville, KY, Feb. 26-28
9:30 a.m. - Morning Services
7:30 p.m. - Evening Services
Night Speaker: Rev. B. D. Sutherland
Youth Service: Fri. Night 6:00 PM
Day Speakers: Bro. Dwain Galiher, Randy
Webb, Tom Peretic, Michael Switzer &
others...
Host Pastor: Rev. Bill Finley
502-964-0528 or 502-552-8596
Bro. Kevin Lloyd 937-832-1215
Full Meal after Each Service
Lodging Info. posted here next Issue.
Special Services
Fellowship, Camp Meetings
Putney, GA
Southwest GA 12th Annual
Campmmeting, Dec. 30 - Jan. 2
7:30 PM ..................... Bro. John Gabbard
6:00 PM ................... Bro. Bruce Johnson
10:00 AM .................... Bro. L. D. Savage
Pastor Noah Phillips 229-438-7210 or
229-438-7219
g
Pine Prairie, LA
Christian Tabernacle
3rd Annual Homecoming Camp Meeting
January 7-9
Thus. & Fri 10 AM ............. Dallas Lakes
Thurs & Fri 5:30 PM .... Brandon Murray
Night Speaker ........................ T.D. Boyd
Contact: Pastor Barry Gautreaux 337599-2348 or 337-224-5906
g
Glencoe, AL
Liberty Holiness Church
Annual Winter Fellowship Meeting
Jan. 15-18
Day Spkr ....................... Bro. Bill Preskitt
Night Spkr ...................... Bro. Lynn Head
Pastor Joe Mayo 256-546-7373
Idabel, OK
Holiness Convocation
February 25-27
Day Spkr ..................... Visiting Ministers
Night Speaker ................... Eugene Futral
Pastor Philip Snow
580-286-3545
g
Tulsa, OK
Hale Station Holiness Church
Homecoming Fellowship
March 6-8
10:00 AM .......................... Bro. Carl Page
Night Spkr ................. Bro. Terry Guthrie
Pastor Eric McDaniel
918-697-9620
g
Sterlington, LA
Sterlington Holiness Tabernacle
11th Annual Fellowship Meeting,
March 6-8
10:00 AM .......................... Bro. Bill Parks
6:00 PM ............................. Youth Service
7:30 PM ........................ Bro. Matt Homer
Pastor T. D. Boyd 318-537-1019 or
318-665-0788
g
Stuttgart, AR
Stuttgart Holiness Church
Fellowship Meeting, April 15 - 18
Day Speaker ..................... Brent Gabbard
Night Speaker ..................... Randy Webb
Pastor Shaun Thompson
606-391-8530
g
Raven, VA
Westside Holiness Church
Campmeeting April 29-May 3
10 AM ...................... Bro Charles Barnett
and Visiting Ministers
7 PM Bro. ........................... Paul Markee
Pastor: Bro. Mike Roberts 276-971-2022
or 276-971-1306
Minister's Conference
Smokey Shadows Conference Center
Jan. 27-29, 2008
Jan. 27: 10:00 AM, Bro. Ben Shaw, Bro.
Joey Hight, 7:00 PM, Bro. Randy Webb
Jan 28: 10:00 AM, Bro. Doug Webb, Bro.
Dwain Galiher, 7:00 PM Bro. Ralph Horton
Jan. 31: (no morning service) 7:00 PM,
Bro. Lloyd Shuecraft
Don Ingram 865-932-0580
Contact: Ryan Ralston 912-748-3335,
Bro. Michael Switzer, 817-750-0043, Bor.
There will a special honorary ceremony for
two Holiness Elders: Bro. Bill Addis & Bro.
Ralph Cox
Motel number is 1-800-251-4444
Mention Ministers Conference for Special
Rates
Tuscaloosa, AL
Harmony Holiness Church
Annual Fellowship Meeting
May 12-15
Day Spkr .......................... Brent Gabbard
Night Speaker ........... Bro. John Gabbard
For Info contact: Pastor Ralph Lowery
205-792-6252 or David Beard
205-535-0523
g
Holy Land Tour
Jordan & Israel
Feb. 26 - Mar. 8
Hosted by:
Thomas Mccoy, 859-338-3177 or CoHost: Brent Moore 859-445-9050 Call
For more Info.
NOTICE
Conservative Christian Ministries
Ladies Retreat in the Smokies
April 23-24, 2009
Held at the Holiday Inn,
Pigeon Gorge,
Speakers:
Sis. Ruth Brimm, Sis. Carol Martin
MUST Register to Attend
Contact: Sis. Connie Harman 276-9645663 or [email protected]
www.conservativechristianministries.com
Pastors and camp directors, please
send info concerning special meetings
you wish to announce as early in the
year as possible. We get numerous
requests for this info as many must
plan their vacations near the first of
the year and like to to do so to attend
these special services. Note that most
day services begin on the second day
of the meeting. Please call contact
number for that information
Page 8